Page 2 - Tuberculosis

Best of BS Opinion: Uncertainty rules in a world in flux

Thanks to President Donald Trump, not just the world but even the US Fed remains in a state of suspense over how his tariff-threats will pan out in the real world

John Green's latest book traces his long journey with tuberculosis

Green is best known for young adult novels like The Fault in Our Stars, a best-selling tear-jerker about two teenage cancer patients

How India is advancing towards United Nations' TB elimination goal by 2030

India has made notable progress under the National TB Elimination Programme. However, given TB's complexity and its deep connection to social factors, a longer, more sustained effort will be essential

India takes lead in global fight against tuberculosis, says ICMR

ICMR highlighted the need for affordable and scalable innovations in active case finding among asymptomatic individuals

Tuberculosis cases rising in UK and US, why is it a global health concern?

With increasing mass movement, including due to climate change and war, the maxim "TB anywhere is TB everywhere" is more resonant today than ever

AI-enabled handheld X-ray machines helping in early TB detection: Experts

AI-enabled hand-held X-ray machines are emerging as game changers in the early detection of Tuberculosis enabling the state to diagnose and notify 6.8 lakh patients -- the highest it has achieved in a calendar year, experts said. Of the 6.8 lakh cases notified in 2024, 4.29 lakh of these patients were notified from the public sector, and 2.5 lakh from private sector. These AI-enabled hand-held X-ray machines are helping in intensified screening under the ongoing pan India 100-Day Intensified Campaign to Eliminate TB aimed at accelerating efforts for the elimination of the disease from the country. According to the National TB Prevalence Survey in India (2019-2021) by ICMR in collaboration with the Union Health Ministry, X-rays are a critical screening tool for Tuberculosis, as close to 42.6 per cent cases of the disease would be missed had they not been screened through an X-ray. Even when the patient is at a very early stage of the disease and does not have conventional symptoms o

India to eliminate TB by 2025, to achieve target 5 yrs ahead of time: Nadda

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday said that India will meet the target of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) from the country by the end of this year, five years ahead of the global target. Nadda said this while inaugurating the 9th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Healthcare System in Puri. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has organised the two-day-long conference. "As per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), India has to eliminate TB by 2030. But, we are all set to achieve it by 2025," Nadda said. "We have already identified 5 lakh TB patients during the ongoing 100-day TB Mukt Bharat campaign in 455 districts across the country. An extensive campaign is going on. We are going to include all aspirational districts and aspirational blocks under the campaign so that we will be able to eliminate tuberculosis by the end of 2025," he said. Nadda advised the participating health officers to treat the public representati

Nutritional support to half of TB households could prevent 4.5% deaths

Providing nutritional support to half the households with individuals undergoing tuberculosis (TB) treatment could prevent roughly 4.5 per cent TB-related deaths and 2.2 per cent of disease episodes by 2035, a modelling study has found. The study, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, estimated that more than 3.6 lakh deaths and over 8.8 lakh TB cases could be averted through such intervention. Typically, about 24 households would need to be treated of tuberculosis to prevent one death, while 10 would need to be treated to prevent one case, researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai, estimated. The nutritional intervention could have an additional cost of about USD 1,349 million on the health system, with potential benefits of USD 167 for every disability-adjusted life-year averted, they projected. 'Disability-adjusted life-year' is a metric that helps measure overall burde

Centre asks states, UTs to take steps to check spread of TB in jails

The Union Home Ministry has asked all states and Union territories to organise screening camps to detect and curb spread of tuberculosis in jails, saying that the closed setting and crowded areas in prisons may make them a breeding ground for transmission of the disease. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and UTs, the home ministry said TB is a significant public health concern in prisons. The closed setting and crowded areas in the jails have the risk of becoming a breeding ground for TB transmission, exacerbating the burden of the disease within incarcerated populations and posing a risk to public health upon prisoners' release, the communication said. It said that inadequate screening and lack of awareness are seen as key challenges in controlling TB inside prisons. As part of its commitment in eliminating TB in India, the government of India recently launched a '100-Day Intensified Campaign on TB Elimination', which started on December 7, 2024. This nationwi

TB patients face high costs despite free diagnosis, treatment from govt

Despite free tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment under India's National TB Elimination Program, nearly half the infected people incur "catastrophic" costs due to a loss in wages and hospitalisation, a study has found. Published in the journal Global Health Research and Policy, the research estimated that typically, tuberculosis treatment and care costs a total of USD 386 for an individual. The National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) is aimed at achieving a TB-free India by 2025, while the World Health Organization's (WHO) 'End TB Strategy' targets 2035 to end the global epidemic. Researchers from the TB Support Network, WHO Country Office for India, New Delhi, and Indian Council for Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology, Tamil Nadu, interviewed over 1,400 infected people notified under the National TB Elimination Program, and whose treatment outcome was declared between May 2022 and February 2023. "Persons with TB (PwTB) in India incur high costs mainly due to lost ..

Nadda meets CMs, urges support for Centre's intensified TB campaign

Nadda called on CMs, lieutenant governors, state health ministers to monitor the campaign at state level and ensure the same is done by political and administrative leadership at the district level

TB incidence rate drops 17.7% to 195 per lakh in 2023: Health Min JP Nadda

The incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in India has shown a 17.7 per cent decline from 237 per 1,00,000 population in 2015 to 195 per 1,00,000 population in 2023, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told Lok Sabha on Friday. The TB deaths has reduced by 21.4 per cent from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 22 per lakh population in 2023, he said while responding to a question. Shorter oral regimen for drug resistant TB was introduced in 2021. This intervention has improved treatment success rates of drug resistant TB patients from 68 per cent in 2020 to 75 per cent in 2022, he said. The government of India has implemented a National Strategic Plan (2017-2025) with a view to eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 2030. The ministry implements the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM). "The NTEP has made significant efforts to make India TB free. The ..

Over 62 mn tuberculosis cases, 8 mn deaths in India during 2021-2040: Study

Over 62 million cases of tuberculosis and eight million deaths are estimated in India in the two decades up to 2040, along with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) loss of more than USD 146 billion, according to a study. The researchers, including those from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, said that low-income households would bear the larger share of health-related burden, while the high-income ones the larger share of the economic burden due to the disease. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that can spread in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. Primarily affecting the lung, the condition can be potentially fatal, as it can spread to other organs. The common symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, fever and fatigue. Improving case detection rates -- currently estimated to be 63 per cent -- and meeting the World Health Organization's End-TB target of 90 per cent could reduce clinical and demographic disease burdens by 75-90 per ..

Fighting TB in multi-pronged manner with new drugs, use of tech: PM Modi

With a 100-day TB elimination campaign starting on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was fighting the disease in a multi-pronged manner with double support for patients, "jan bhagidari", newer drugs, use of technology, and better diagnostic tools. In a post on X, Modi said, "Our fight against TB just got stronger! Powered by a collective spirit to defeat TB, a special 100-day campaign is starting today with a focus on high-burden TB districts." India is fighting TB in a multi-pronged manner with doubling support to patients, "jan bhagidari", newer drugs, use of technology, and better diagnostic tools, he added. "Let us all come together and do our bit to eliminate TB," he said. In another post, Modi shared Union Health Minister JP Nadda's article on the fight against TB, saying it gave an insightful picture of the steps "we are continuously taking to make India TB-free". Nadda inaugurated a nationwide campaign in Haryana's Panchkula to reduce TB cases and mortality

Health minister Nadda launches 100-day TB elimination campaign from Haryana

The rate of decline of tuberculosis incidence in India has doubled since 2015 and is ahead of the global average, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said on Saturday while inaugurating a nationwide campaign in Haryana's Panchkula to reduce such cases and mortality due to it. The 100-day TB elimination campaign will be implemented in 347 districts of 33 states where the prevalence of the disease is higher. The campaign is focused on enhancing detection, reducing diagnostic delays and improving treatment outcomes. "We will take detection, tests, treatment and supportive strategies forward at a fast pace under this programme," Nadda said. The Union health minister highlighted the country's long struggle in its fight against tuberculosis, saying that at one time TB was considered 'slow death'. "Even family members suffering from TB were isolated to prevent its spread. Since 1962, there have been many campaigns against tuberculosis, but in 2018 the prime minister put forth a vision to end

No shortage of anti-TB drugs in country, two months' stock available: Govt

Centre to launch 100-day campaign in high-TB burden districts on Saturday

India records 17.7% decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023: WHO report

India has recorded a 17.7 per cent decline in tuberculosis incidence from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 195 in 2023, which is more than double the global decline of 8.3 per cent, Health Ministry sources have said citing a WHO report. In its Global TB Report 2024 released on October 29, WHO has acknowledged the tremendous progress India has made in closing the gap of missed tuberculosis cases since 2015, the sources said. "In 2023, India is estimated to have had 27 lakh TB cases, of which 25.1 lakh were diagnosed and put on treatment. This has buoyed India's treatment coverage to 89 per cent in 2023 from 72 per cent in 2015, thereby bridging the gap of missing cases," an official source said. The source said WHO has "acknowledged a drop in India's tuberculosis incidence from 237 per lakh population in 2015, to 195 per lakh population in 2023 accounting for a 17.7 per cent decline. "This is more than double the pace of decline as compared to the global decline of 8.3 per cent,"

TB infects around 8 mn people in 2023, highest ever seen, says WHO

More than 8 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis last year, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, the highest number recorded since the U.N. health agency began keeping track. About 1.25 million people died of TB last year, the new report said, adding that TB likely returned to being the world's top infectious disease killer after being replaced by COVID-19 during the pandemic. The deaths are almost double the number of people killed by HIV in 2023. WHO said TB continues to mostly affect people in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Western Pacific; India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Pakistan account for more than half of the world's cases. The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. TB deaths continue to fall globally, however, and the number of people being newly infected is beginning to stabilize. The

NPPA raises ceiling prices of 8 scheduled drugs for asthma, TB, glaucoma

Ceiling prices were also revised for the asthma drug Salbutamol in tablets of 2 mg and 4 mg formulations and respirator solution of 5 mg/ml formulation

Govt approves Rs 1,040 crore boost for TB patient nutritional support

It was also decided to introduce energy-dense nutrition supplementation (EDNS) for all underweight TB patients or those with a body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m² at the time of diagnosis